high noon
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. The middle of the day; specifically, noon, the time when the sun is at its highest point in the sky. This term refers to the exact midpoint of the daylight hours, typically around 12:00 PM.
Usage
The term "high noon" is used to denote the specific time of midday. It often carries a formal or dramatic connotation. - The meeting is scheduled for high noon tomorrow. - The sun was directly overhead at high noon.
Advanced Usage
- A critical or decisive moment, often of confrontation. This figurative usage originates from the dramatic tension associated with the time of a scheduled duel in Western films and literature.
- The negotiations reached their high noon, and a decision had to be made.
- The courtroom scene was the high noon of the legal battle.
Variants and Related Words
- Noon (n): The time of 12:00 PM in the daytime. (A more common, less dramatic synonym).
- Midday (n): The middle part of the day. (A broader term than "high noon").
- Meridian (n): A formal term for midday, or the highest point reached by the sun.
Synonyms
- Noon
- Midday
- Twelve noon
- Noontime
- Noontide (archaic)
Idioms and Phrases
- High noon: Used directly as an idiom to signify a moment of ultimate decision or confrontation.
- It's high noon for the company; we must choose our new strategy now.